Benefits of dairy product consumption on blood pressure in humans: A summary of the biomedical literature

The inverse relationship between intake of dairy products and blood pressur e levels was first suggested by several epidemiologic surveys in the early 1980's that revealed low calcium intake in populations with increased preva lence of hypertension. Subsequent laboratory and clinical investigations pr ovided further evidence of the association between calcium and blood pressu re, but the results of these studies were often inconsistent due to variati ons in study design and methods, study participants and calcium sources. Th e recently published results of the large and carefully executed Dietary Ap proaches to Stop Hypertension Study, "DASH," which demonstrated a dramatic blood-pressure lowering effect of diets rich in dairy products, fruits and vegetables, addressed many of the issues contributing to the inconsistencie s in the blood pressure-calcium data. In the following review, we discuss t he evolution of the scientific evidence of the association between dietary calcium intake and blood pressure, the findings and significance of the DAS H trial and the consensus that now exists among health professionals regard ing the importance of adequate dairy product intake for optimal blood press ure regulation.